IU Targets Scheduling January Visits

John Decker

01/04/2008

Bloomington, Ind. – With the holiday season behind them and signing day now a little more than a month away, the IU football staff is back to work putting to final pieces in place for the 2008 recruiting class.

Bloomington, Ind. – With the holiday season behind them and signing day now a little more than a month away, the IU football staff is back to work putting to final pieces in place for the 2008 recruiting class.

With 19 commits to date and only 16 out-going seniors, Coach Bill Lynch's staff is already up against the overall scholarship limit of 85. But with the conference's relatively new rule permitting Big Ten schools to over-sign players – which ironically was championed by former IU Coach Gerry DiNardo in 2002 - Lynch does have enough wiggle room to sign a couple more on Feb. 6.

It's important to note, though, that wiggle room is negligible. Anything IU does from here on out would involve over-signing, so the staff won't be taking any flyers on projects – anyone who signs from here on out will be a player that the staff thinks is way too good to pass up.

HoosierNation.com has learned IU won't have anyone on campus for official visits this weekend, but the staff does plan on bringing in prospective student-athletes beginning next weekend to fill out the class. Those players will join a handful of players who made official visits last month, yet remain undecided, as players who could still wind up signing next month.

Here's the latest on some of IU's top remaining targets:

B.J. Daniels – The Tallahassee, Fla., quarterback is a 6-1, 203-pounder who is an intriguing possibility because of his athleticism and versatility. He has officials to South Florida and Memphis scheduled in the next two weeks, and he's a potential visitor to IU later in the month as well. He's a dual threat quarterback who threw for 2,556 yards and rushed for another 903 as a senior, He also totaled 45 touchdowns (34 passing, 11 rushing) for a Lincoln H.S. team that went 10-2 in its first season running the spread attack. Some have tried to recruit him as a safety, but he's been fairly outspoken that he wants to play quarterback. He's also a standout on Lincoln's basketball team, averaging more than 25 points thus far this season.

Orhian Johnson – The 6-4, 190-pound quarterback/athlete from Gulfport, Fla., is IU's top remaining target. Johnson made his official to IU Dec. 7, which was his only official visit last month. He has since scheduled a trip to Ohio State for Jan. 11, and has also listed Kansas, South Florida and Tennessee as possibilities. The next time Indiana can make in-person contact with Johnson is Jan. 13 (it's either a quiet or dead period from Jan. 4-12), so it's a safe bet to think his IU recruiting coach, Billy Lynch, will be headed to Florida to get him thinking about IU once again. Johnson has told Scout.com's Allen Wallace his decision might not come until signing day.

Willy Lowe – The Cleveland Glenville H.S. cornerback was also in Bloomington the weekend of Dec. 7, and he took an official to Iowa the following week. There's been no news of any other scheduled trips for the 5-10, 165-pounder, although West Virginia has been showing interest and a visit could very well be in the works now that the Mountaineers have settled on Bill Stewart as its new head coach.

Trent Mossbrucker – There's been no news as of late on Mossbrucker, the Mooresville, Ind., kicker who committed to Iowa in July. There have been a variety of rumors that Mossbrucker could be wavering on that pledge and could wind up in Bloomington, although he's never made any public comments suggesting that's a possibility. If he did decide to re-consider Indiana would undoubtedly be interested. The Hoosiers originally offered Mossbrucker after IU Coach Bill Lynch watched him kick at the S.O.S. Camp in Indianapolis, and they were the other school Mossbrucker serious considered before making his Iowa pledge.

Isaiah Pead – The 5-11, 185-pound running back/cornerback from Columbus (Ohio) Eastmoor High School was one of two players in Bloomington for an official visit Dec. 14, joining IU-bound defensive end Kyle Kozak. Pead has whittled his list down to four and has scheduled visits to his other three finalists – Pitt (Jan. 11), West Virginia (Jan. 18) and Cincinnati (Jan. 25).